Purple Tilefish. One of my all-time favorite fish to look at, but only at the store. If you do buy them make sure they have been there for some time, they are deep water fish and can have decompression issues. You can see that when they swim with their tales higher than their heads. They are also know to be jumpers. But WOW, what beautiful fish.
I got one a few months ago. I was a little worried at first, cause he wouldn't eat for the first few days and acted like he couldn't even see the food. I think the tank lights were too bright for him at first, cause he'd eat in the QT tank, but stopped once he was in the main tank. He'd get excited that there was food in the water, but would always miss it. Took him about a week to get used to the lights. After a while he ate anything I gave him (mysis, frozen formula 1 or 2, pellets, etc.).
Found out recently that he LOVES clams! I just got a CBB who doesn't want to eat (any help on that would be great), so I smashed some live clams to see if he'd peck at them. No luck with the CBB, but the tilefish will grab a hunk of meat and thrash around until it comes loose, then swim around the tank with it in his mouth. He bites off such big pieces, he can't swallow them. My pseudochromis usually steals it out from his mouth. I cut smaller pieces for the tilefish and he'll eat them out of my hand. And found out today he likes squid (another try at getting the CDD to eat, no luck).
I got the purple tilefish from bluezooaquatics and it was nice and fat when I got it which helped at lot.
Anyone know anymore tricks with CBB's? I had one a while back that would eat mysis just fine, but I sold him. This CBB won't touch mysis, brine, clam, squid, blood worms, aiptasia, and only sort of picks at feather dusters (I even went out and tracked down some small feather dusters for the little guy). I've also soaked all the food in garlic and selcon a few time, but that didn't seem to help either. Anything else I can try?!
